Mobile properties

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Mobile properties

    Mobile properties in ServiceNow allow administrators to enable or disable features in mobile apps without upgrading the entire ServiceNow instance. These properties act as feature flags, stored as key/value pairs in thesyssgpropertiestable, and are sent to mobile client apps after user authentication. This capability has been available since the San Diego release and supports ongoing enhancements delivered through monthly mobile app releases.

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    Application Scope and Precedence

    When creating mobile properties, admins select the application scope for which the property applies. Multiple properties with the same name but different scopes may exist, and ServiceNow uses precedence rules to determine which property is applied:

    • Global application scope always takes precedence if defined.
    • If no global scope property exists, the most recently updated property among the applicable scopes is used.

    These rules ensure consistent and predictable behavior of feature toggles across different application contexts.

    Key Use Cases and Configurations

    • Automatic App Refresh: The clientRefresh property controls whether mobile apps refresh automatically and can adjust refresh scope.
    • External User Attachment Access: Users with the sncexternal role can be enabled to view, upload, and download attachments via the mobile app.
    • Date/Time Display: Properties like ShowDateTimeInUTC and useDeviceSettingsForDateTimeFormats control whether date/time fields show in device time zone or UTC and which date/time format is used.
    • Seconds Display in Date/Time Fields: Properties such as mobileCardsShowSeconds, recordScreenDetailsShowSeconds, and activityStreamShowSeconds can hide seconds from date/time displays.
    • Session Management: Embedded web sessions can be extended to keep users logged in until OAuth tokens expire.
    • Barcode Scanning Enhancements: Properties like EnableCameraFocusEnhancement and EnableMaxCameraResolution improve barcode scanning on Android devices; externalScanEnabled enables external scanner use alongside the device camera.
    • Attachment Capabilities by Role: By combining system and mobile properties, admins can control Android users’ ability to share, download, or view attachments externally based on their roles.
    • Authentication Experience on Android: The preventAppKillOnAuth property helps prevent the mobile app from closing during login when the app is backgrounded, providing a smoother authentication process.
    • Zero Trust Access Banner: Admins can disable the Zero Trust Access banner on mobile app screens where ZTA is enabled.

    Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    By leveraging mobile properties, ServiceNow customers can:

    • Control and customize mobile app features dynamically without full platform upgrades.
    • Deliver tailored mobile experiences based on user roles and application scopes.
    • Improve user experience with refined session management, date/time handling, and barcode scanning.
    • Maintain security and compliance by managing features like attachment access and Zero Trust Access banners.

    This flexibility enables efficient mobile app management aligned with organizational policies and user needs.

    Mobile properties enable admins to turn on or turn off features in ServiceNow apps without upgrading the ServiceNow instance.

    The ServiceNow Platform server controls the features that are available on your mobile app. The server instance is released with new features for every family release. New versions of the mobile apps are released to the Apple Store and the Google Play Store every month. These monthly releases of mobile apps usually contain bug fixes but can also contain new features. These new features can be turned on or off with mobile properties.

    Mobile properties can be configured to set flags on your ServiceNow instance. These "flags" are records structured as key/value pairs in the sys_sg_properties table. They can turn on or turn off features on your mobile client apps. The ServiceNow instance sends the mobile property to mobile client apps after authentication.

    Mobile properties are available starting with the San Diego release.

    Application scope and mobile properties

    When you create a mobile property, you select the application scope for which the property is available in the Mobile Properties New record form. To change the list of available application scopes, select the globe icon (Globe icon.) on the instance banner and then select Application scope:application_scope.

    Application scope precedence

    When multiple mobile properties of the same name are defined for multiple application scopes, the system applies precedence rules to select a mobile property to use. The following scenarios use the clientRefresh mobile property as an example to show how the precedence rules work.

    Scenario 1: Global application scope always takes precedence
    If a mobile property is defined for multiple application scopes and one of those is the global application scope, then the property defined for global application scope always takes precedence. In this case, the following actions occur:
    1. The system calls for the clientRefresh property on an instance.
    2. The system finds three clientRefresh properties defined for this instance:
      Property name Application scope Updated (date and time)
      clientRefresh Global 2021-12-06 10:41:00
      clientRefresh Now Mobile 2021-12-06 10:38:41
      clientRefresh Agent Workspace 2021-12-06 10:42:06
    3. The system chooses the clientRefresh property defined for the global application scope.

    In scenario 1, the clientRefresh property defined for the global application scope takes precedence.

    Scenario 2: If the mobile property isn't defined for global application scope, then the most recently updated property takes precedence
    If a mobile property is defined for multiple application scopes but if there is no property with global application scope, then the system uses the most recently updated property. In this case, the following actions occur:
    1. The system calls for the clientRefresh property on an instance.
    2. The system finds three clientRefresh properties defined for this instance:
      Property name Application scope Updated (date and time)
      clientRefresh Now Mobile 2021-12-06 10:38:41
      clientRefresh Asset Management for mobile 2021-12-06 10:42:06
      clientRefresh Agent Workspace 2021-12-06 12:06:20
    3. The system chooses the clientRefresh property that was most recently updated.

    In scenario 2, the clientRefresh property defined for the agent workspace application scope was the most recently updated. All three mobile properties were updated on 2021-12-06. The property defined for the agent workspace application scope was updated at 12:06:20. That time is almost one and a half hours after the other two. The system chooses the clientRefresh property defined for the agent workspace application scope because it's the most recently updated clientRefresh property.